An investigation by G1 has uncovered serious flaws in how sexual harassment victims are treated in São Paulo’s public transportation system. Multiple women reported being groped or assaulted aboard trains or in metro stations such as Pinheiros and República, or on lines 7-Rubi and 9-Esmeralda. However, they described receiving little to no support from on-site security agents, with some even discouraged from reporting the incidents. In 2023, data obtained through the Freedom of Information Law (LAI) showed that at least one case of sexual harassment was registered every 14 hours in São Paulo’s train and metro system. This gap between institutional promises and lived experiences raises concerns about the current effectiveness of measures meant to protect women on São Paulo’s public transit.
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19/03/2025 – A woman was sexually harassed by a motorcyclist while inside her car on Avenida Brigadeiro Luís Antônio in Jardim Paulista, Central São Paulo, on Wednesday (19/03). The man followed her through multiple intersections and made obscene gestures when she stopped at a red light. After she posted the video online, at least two more women came forward, identifying the same aggressor in similar incidents. Police are investigating.
20/03/2025 – On Thursday afternoon (20/03), a man was kidnapped in the Brasilândia neighborhood, North Zone, by four armed men and held captive in a garage. During the police rescue operation the next day, Friday (21/03), officers exchanged gunfire with the suspects, shooting two of them in the legs.
21/03/2025 – A cable theft at Giovanni Gronchi station, in the Vila Andrade district, South Zone, caused major delays on Line 5–Lilás this Friday morning (21). Trains between Santo Amaro and Giovanni Gronchi ran at reduced speed, leading to overcrowding across the line. The issue began around 6:08, but ViaMobilidade only activated the Paese bus system at 7:52. Platforms and trains were packed, with passengers facing long lines and access difficulties. This is the second cable theft affecting Line 5 in 2025; two similar incidents occurred in 2024.
21/03/2025 – A 46-year-old man was fatally shot at close range by a military police officer on Friday night (21/03), on Rua Laura Bossi, in the José Bonifácio neighborhood, East Zone. According to the police, the man was carrying drugs, resisted arrest, and allegedly grabbed one officer’s gun during a struggle before being shot. The incident is under investigation.
21/03/2025 – A 19-year-old black man was violently assaulted by military police officers in front of his home, in the Jardim Colina neighborhood, in the Sacomã district, South Zone, on Friday night (21/03). Pinned to the ground, he was punched and kicked as outraged neighbors shouted. The police claim he resisted arrest.
22/03/2025 – Three armed thieves stole a luxury motorcycle from a rider inside the garage of a building on Rua Barão do Triunfo, in Campo Belo, South Zone, on Saturday (22/03). The victim was surrounded right after opening the gate. The suspects fled with the motorcycle; no one was arrested.
23/03/2025 – A luxury motorcycle was stolen from a rider on Sunday (23/03), in the Tatuapé neighborhood, East Zone. Security camera footage shows six men on four motorcycles surrounding the victim and taking his bike. No one was arrested.
23/03/2025 – Two suspects were killed and two others arrested after a police chase ended in a shootout on Avenida Doutor Mário Vilas Boas Rodrigues, in Santo Amaro, South Zone, around 20:30 on Sunday (23/03). The four men tried to flee in a stolen car and opened fire on the approaching officers. The vehicle had been reported stolen on 16 February and was using fake license plates.
25/03/2025 – Six men were arrested on Tuesday (25/03), during a police operation targeting a kidnapping gang operating in São Paulo. The suspects are accused of abducting a lawyer in the Perdizes neighborhood, West Zone of the city, on 11 November 2024, stealing over R$ 50,000 from his accounts. The arrests took place across São Paulo, Cotia, Itapevi, Taboão da Serra, and Osasco.
25/03/2025 – An attempted robbery at a commercial establishment on Avenida da Barreira Grande, in the Vila Bancária neighborhood, East Zone, ended with three people shot on Tuesday (25/03). According to police, the suspect was killed in a shootout with officers after injuring the store owner with a grazing gunshot to the head. A bystander was also hit by a stray bullet.
25/03/2025 – Former footballer Régis Fernandes Silva, known as Régis Pitbull, was arrested on Tuesday (25/03), for assaulting the 69-year-old deputy manager of his residential building in Pirituba, West Zone. Surveillance footage shows the ex-player headbutting and punching the victim inside an elevator, breaking three of the man’s teeth. The incident follows years of complaints about the former athlete’s disruptive behavior in the building, amid his long-standing struggles with crack addiction.
26/03/2025 – The São Paulo Civil Police arrested a suspect, on Wednesday (26/03), in Vila Sabrina, North Zone, for various serious crimes. He is accused of sexual abuse of a 12-year-old minor, promoting Nazism, and possessing child sexual abuse material. The investigation, which began in December 2024, revealed that he allegedly forced the girl to self-harm. During a search of his residence, authorities discovered Nazi paraphernalia, weapons, and child sexual abuse material.
28/03/2025 – A sexual harassment incident occurred aboard a Line 11-Coral CPTM train on Friday morning (28/03), when a man allegedly exposed himself and cornered a woman inside a train car near Tatuapé Station, East Zone. Witnesses reported that the man pulled down his pants and exposed his genitals before approaching the victim. Other passengers intervened and assaulted the suspect before station security detained him.
